Which Websites Help You Answer General Knowledge Questions? [We Ask You]

Earlier this month it was announced that the print edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica is no more, with the 2010 edition confirmed as the last to ever roll off the presses. In essence the Internet has killed off the need for any of us to have a 32-volume encyclopedia sitting on our bookshelves. The Web provides all the answers to questions we may have.

The Web as a whole has replaced a 244-year-old tome in the space of just 20 years, but which websites in particular fill the void left by the Encyclopedia Britannica and its ilk? That’s the subject of this week’s ‘We Ask [You] Tell Us’. We want to know your thoughts, and your responses to the question could help the whole of the MakeUseOf readership expand their horizons. And I include myself in that.

This Week’s Question…

Which Websites Help You Answer General Knowledge Questions?

We all have questions from time to time, no matter how knowledgeable we may be. I’m pretty good at pub quizzes, and yet there are huge holes in my general knowledge. Thankfully most of us now have access to the Internet, and can turn to it at a moment’s notice via our computers, phones, or even TV sets.

When you have a hole in your knowledge that needs filling, do you immediately turn to Google, Bing, or another search engine and blindly follow the links they provide you with? Or do you have a particular website, such as Wikipedia or Quora, that is the first place you visit when you have a question that needs answering?

We Ask You… now You Tell Us. All comments will be digested to form conclusions in a follow-up post next week. Please note that this is specifically related to general knowledge queries. For tech-related questions your first port of call should always be MakeUseOf Answers.

‘We Ask [You] Tell Us‘ is a weekly column dedicated to finding out the opinions of MakeUseOf readers. We ask you a question and you tell us what you think. The question is open-ended and is usually open to debate. Some questions will be purely opinion-based, while others will see you sharing tips and advice, or advocating tools and apps for your fellow MakeUseOf Readers. This column is nothing without you, as MakeUseOf is nothing without you.

Dave Parrack

David Scarmardo

March 22, 2012

well, first try is always MUO (there is my kiss-butt contribution), but if I’m looking for tips or hints on my DIY projects I usually go to http://www.instructables.com for everything from closet organization to an arduino controlled home-made Segway.

Dave Parrack

Howard Pearce

March 22, 2012

I rely a lot on WIKI.
I find it fairly unbiased offering points and counterpoints on most issues which historically I haven’t found with things like Britannica which seem to basically push the “status quo” view or most subjects.

Dave Parrack

March 22, 2012

That’s an interesting point of view, and I guess both Wikipedia’s strong and weak point. It offers a general consensus on something but not necessarily a definitive or accepted answer.

SUNDAY ADENIYI

March 22, 2012

When it comes to knowledge that you know the precise topic probably in short form – wikipedia is the first and my best choice. Why? Wikipedia gives you the detail information in a tabular form with crisp corresponding pictures and link sites. It also gives people information in tables if the need arises.

google is useful for information that one does not know the whereabouts and whn words to be searched for are entered in google, the first five display will have wikipedia on the list. For me, I use the two frequently.

Dave Parrack

Roy Wallis

March 25, 2012

Most of the time I use Wikipedia, but if it seems that my question might be too obscure, I use Answers.com; I have the little tab on the right that makes a pleasant “whooshing” sounc when I expand it to type.

Dave Parrack

March 28, 2012

I don’t recall having heard of Answers.com before, despite the killer domain name. Is the whooshing noise important? ;)